PQShield
PQShield is a UK-based post-quantum cryptography company that develops standards-aligned software libraries, hardware IP cores, and consultancy services to help semiconductor, defense, telecom, automotive, and public-sector customers migrate to NIST-compliant quantum-safe cryptography.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersOxford, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What PQShield does
PQShield is a UK-based post-quantum cryptography (PQC) company founded in 2018 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford. It develops cryptographic software libraries, hardware IP cores, and migration consultancy services designed to make technology infrastructure resilient to future quantum-computing attacks on public-key cryptography. PQShield notably co-authored all three initial NIST international PQC standards (FIPS 203 ML-KEM, FIPS 204 ML-DSA, FIPS 205 SLH-DSA), an unusual commercial pedigree for a venture-backed vendor. Its technology stack spans ultra-small embedded libraries (PQMicroLib-Core running in under 5KB of RAM, up to eight times smaller than off-the-shelf alternatives), configurable enterprise libraries (PQCryptoLib-Core), OpenSSL integration SDKs (PQCryptoLib-SDK), a PQC-first root-of-trust subsystem (PQPlatform-TrustSys), a secure coprocessor (PQPlatform-CoPro), hardware accelerators (PQPerform-Flare and PQPerform-Inferno), a RISC-V-based crypto-agility subsystem (PQPerform-Flex), the world's first full-stack post-quantum TLS, and a formally verified AVX2 ML-KEM implementation presented at IEEE S&P 2025. The first PQC silicon test chip for NIST compliance was launched in September 2024.
PQShield makes money primarily through one-time and perpetual Technology License Agreements covering its hardware IP cores and software libraries, priced under PDS v2.0 (October 2025). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per engagement. A secondary revenue stream is professional services delivered under the UK NCSC Assured Cyber Security Consultancy (ACSC) scheme, covering Discovery & Migration Planning and Advice for UK Critical National Infrastructure operators. GTM is enterprise field sales complemented by channel partnerships (Carahsoft for US public sector), SI/consulting partners (Capgemini, CGI, Roke, TCS) for delivery at scale, and OEM/embedded licensing through chipmakers and toolchain vendors (SiFive, STMicroelectronics, Microchip, Lattice Semiconductor, AMD, IAR Systems). Target verticals are long-lifecycle and regulated industries — semiconductors and manufacturing, military and aerospace, identity and paymentech, network and telecom, automotive, industrial IoT, enterprise platforms, healthcare, and US/UK public sector — where cryptographic decisions are baked into products with 10-30 year lifecycles. Headcount is approximately 90 experts across 10 countries, with 50+ specialist PQC cryptographers and engineers; the company has raised approximately $64M+ in disclosed funding, most recently a $37M Series B in 2024 from Addition, OSE, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Legal & General.
PQShield firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PQShield
- Legal name
- PQShield Ltd
- Website
- https://pqshield.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- PQShield is a UK-based post-quantum cryptography company that develops standards-aligned software libraries, hardware IP cores, and consultancy services to help semiconductor, defense, telecom, automotive, and public-sector customers migrate to NIST-compliant quantum-safe cryptography.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PQShield industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Post-Quantum Cryptography Software and Hardware IP
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)
- SIC
- Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Electronic Computers (3571)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Quantum-Safe Cryptographic Algorithms & Protocols (PQC) (HDAGAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- PQC Migration, Readiness Assessment & Crypto-Agility (HDAGAGAD), Quantum-Safe Hardware & Embedded Security (TPM/secure elements/firmware) (HDAGAGAJ)
Keywords
Where PQShield is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oxford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PQShield business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Technology licensing (one-time / perpetual license): Licensing of hardware IP cores, software libraries and subsystems to semiconductor manufacturers and OEMs under Technology License Agreements (PDS v2.0 dated October 2025). Covers PQMicroLib-Core, PQCryptoLib-Core, PQCryptoLib-SDK, PQPlatform-CoPro, PQPlatform-TrustSys, PQPerform-Flare, PQPerform-Inferno, PQPerform-Flex.
- Professional services (NCSC ACSC consultancy): Assured Cyber Security Consultancy services for PQC under UK NCSC ACSC scheme covering Discovery & Migration Planning and Advice categories for governments, public sector, and Critical National Infrastructure.
- Hardware IP / chip sales: Silicon test chip and hardware IP deliverables for NIST-compliant PQC implementations.
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
PQShield product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PQShield develops and licenses post-quantum cryptography (PQC) software libraries, hardware IP cores, secure coprocessors, and root-of-trust subsystems that implement the NIST FIPS 203 (ML-KEM), FIPS 204 (ML-DSA) and FIPS 205 (SLH-DSA) standards. Its UltraPQ Suite covers software libraries for enterprise/embedded environments, hardware IP for semiconductor integration, and a full-stack post-quantum TLS offering, alongside NCSC Assured Cyber Security Consultancy services for PQC migration in regulated industries.
Product overview
PQShield offers a single unified post-quantum cryptography (PQC) portfolio organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture spanning software, hardware, and cloud environments. The offering is anchored by the UltraPQ-Suite, which groups all of PQShield's specialized PQC implementations: PQMicroLib-Core (the ultra-small embedded PQC library running in as little as 5KB of RAM, integrated with PSA Certified Crypto API and Mbed TLS), PQCryptoLib-Core (the configurable classical/PQC/hybrid software library) and PQCryptoLib-SDK (the OpenSSL integration SDK). On the hardware side, the PQPlatform family delivers PQC-first silicon building blocks — PQPlatform-CoPro (secure coprocessor) and PQPlatform-TrustSys (PQC-first Root-of-Trust subsystem) — while the PQPerform family delivers acceleration and agility hardware IP — PQPerform-Flare, PQPerform-Inferno, and PQPerform-Flex (a RISC-V-based subsystem). Together these products form a deployable, NIST-aligned migration stack for semiconductors, embedded systems, telecommunications, automotive, defense, healthcare, industrial IoT and enterprise platforms, complemented by PQShield's NCSC ACSC-assured PQC consultancy services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- UltraPQ Suite: Suite of deeply specialized post-quantum cryptography implementations for embedded, software, and hardware environments, including PQMicroLib-Core.
Products and services
- PQMicroLib-Core Ultra-small, highly optimized post-quantum cryptography software library for memory-constrained embedded systems, running standardized PQC in as little as 5KB of RAM. Targets microcontroller-based devices in payments, medical wearables, industrial control systems and networking equipment, and is integrated with PSA Certified Crypto API and Mbed TLS.
- PQCryptoLib-Core
Quantifiable outcome
- Co-authored all initial NIST PQC standards (FIPS 203, 204, 205)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use PQShield
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PQShield technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature12 records
PQShield partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- CRYPTREC (Japan cryptographic standardisation body)flagshipPQShield evaluated ML-KEM for CRYPTREC, enabling Japan's deployment of quantum-safe encryption as part of its broader strategy to adopt PQC with a full transition targeted by 2035.
- Oxford Food Hub CharityminorPQShield is the first official corporate partner of the Oxford Food Hub, supporting the charity's mission to redistribute surplus food free of charge to over 240 charities and community groups across Oxfordshire.
- CarahsoftflagshipPartnership to make PQShield's post-quantum cryptography products available to U.S. government agencies through Carahsoft's procurement channels. The collaboration aims to help secure public-sector infrastructure from quantum threats and accelerate compliance with new standards by 2035.
- NEDO (Japan)corePQShield is participating in the NEDO program to implement post-quantum cryptography across Japan.
- SiFiveflagshipCollaboration to advance post-quantum cryptography in RISC-V designs, enabling quantum-safe encryption integrated into SiFive's RISC-V processor IP family.
- STMicroelectronicscoreCollaboration with chipmaker to support global adoption of PQMicroLib-Core for embedded post-quantum cryptography on STMicroelectronics microcontrollers.
- Microchip TechnologycoreCollaboration with chipmaker on post-quantum adoption of PQMicroLib-Core for constrained microcontroller-based devices.
- Lattice SemiconductorcoreCollaboration with chipmaker on post-quantum adoption of PQShield's PQC solutions for Lattice's FPGA and programmable logic products.
- IAR SystemscoreCollaboration with embedded development tools provider on post-quantum adoption, ensuring PQShield's libraries integrate with IAR toolchains.
- CapgeminicoreConsulting/SI partner used when PQShield engagements require additional scale or technical domain expertise for enterprise PQC migration projects.
- CGIminorConsulting partner used to scale PQShield NCSC ACSC PQC migration engagements.
- RokeminorUK-based consulting partner for PQC migration engagements.
- Tata Consulting Services (TCS)coreGlobal consulting partner for large-scale PQC migration delivery.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PQShield competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ISARA Corporation: Canada-based PQC specialist providing quantum-safe cryptography toolkits, hardware IP and migration services; directly comparable to PQShield across software libraries, hardware IP integration and standards-led migration consulting for enterprise and government customers.
- CryptoNext Security: French post-quantum cryptography software vendor offering hybrid PQC libraries and quantum-safe toolkits; both companies were named ABI Research Top Innovators in the PQC IP Market and compete head-to-head for enterprise PQC software deployments.
- PQ Solutions (Quantum Bridge): Pure-play post-quantum cryptography vendor delivering cryptographic discovery and PQC migration tooling; comparable to PQShield's NCSC ACSC consultancy arm and competes for the same enterprise migration consulting engagements.
Regional players
- ID Quantique: Switzerland-based quantum-safe and quantum-random-number vendor providing PQC/TLS solutions and QKD to European governments and enterprises; a regional peer competing with PQShield for European regulated buyer engagements.
- QuantumCTek / Crypto Innovation (China PQC vendors): China-based commercial cryptography and quantum communications vendors deploying domestic PQC algorithms; relevant as a regional peer in the global PQC landscape that competes on national-standard, sovereign-cryptography requirements outside PQShield's core UK/US/EU/Japan footprint.
Emerging players
- wolfSSL (wolfCrypt): Embedded TLS/crypto library provider that has added post-quantum algorithm support (ML-KEM/ML-DSA) into wolfCrypt for IoT and embedded customers; competes with PQMicroLib-Core for constrained-device PQC library slots.
Broad incumbents
- Cloudflare (Post-Quantum): Cloudflare has rolled out post-quantum TLS across its global edge network and open-sourced CIRCL PQC library; a broad incumbent that can ship PQC at scale and overlaps with PQShield's OpenSSL/TLS-layer offerings (PQCryptoLib-SDK).
- Rambus (Security IP): Hardware security IP provider offering Root-of-Trust, crypto accelerators and silicon IP; overlaps with PQShield's PQPlatform-TrustSys and PQPerform hardware IP family for SoC and semiconductor customers.
- IBM Quantum Safe: IBM's broader quantum-safe cryptography programme spanning software toolkits, hardware and consulting; a broad incumbent whose portfolio overlaps PQShield's enterprise software and migration services, especially with large regulated enterprises and governments.
- Thales (PQC offerings): Global cybersecurity incumbent with HSMs, PKI and PQC migration consulting; comparable to PQShield in enterprise/government PQC rollout and competes for the same regulated buyer budgets, including defense and Critical National Infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PQShield social profiles
Digital presencePQShield compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
PQShield financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PQShield leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
PQShield funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PQShield M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PQShield
What does PQShield do?
PQShield develops and licenses post-quantum cryptography (PQC) software libraries, hardware IP cores, secure coprocessors, and root-of-trust subsystems that implement the NIST FIPS 203 (ML-KEM), FIPS 204 (ML-DSA) and FIPS 205 (SLH-DSA) standards. Its UltraPQ Suite covers software libraries for enterprise/embedded environments, hardware IP for semiconductor integration, and a full-stack post-quantum TLS offering, alongside NCSC Assured Cyber Security Consultancy services for PQC migration in regulated industries.
Is PQShield a public or private company?
PQShield is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was PQShield founded?
PQShield was founded in 2018. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is PQShield based?
PQShield is headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does PQShield make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Technology licensing (one-time / perpetual license) is the primary driver. The others are professional services (NCSC ACSC consultancy) and hardware IP / chip sales.
Who are PQShield's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ISARA Corporation, CryptoNext Security and PQ Solutions (Quantum Bridge). Regional players are ID Quantique and QuantumCTek / Crypto Innovation (China PQC vendors). wolfSSL (wolfCrypt) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Cloudflare (Post-Quantum), Rambus (Security IP), IBM Quantum Safe and Thales (PQC offerings).
Does PQShield have an API?
No public API is recorded for PQShield.
What industry is PQShield in?
PQShield's product category is Post-Quantum Cryptography Software and Hardware IP. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAGAGAC, Quantum-Safe Cryptographic Algorithms & Protocols (PQC), with a secondary code of HDAGAGAD, PQC Migration, Readiness Assessment & Crypto-Agility. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 3576.